Florida man arrested for trying to cross Atlantic in human-powered hamster wheel
Suspect told Coast Guard officers he had a bomb on vessel as he refused to board cutter
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A Florida man was arrested after a bizarre three-day standoff at sea with the US Coast Guard for trying to cross the Atlantic in a human-powered hamster wheel.
Reza Baluchi faces federal charges after he was found 70 miles off the Georgia coast with Hurricane Franklin taking aim at the eastern seaboard, reported The Daily Beast.
The USS Coast Guard cutter Valiant was in the region when they spotted Mr Baluchi and intercepted him. When questioned during the 26 August incident Mr Baluchi said he was heading for London on his vessel.
“Based on the condition of the vessel – which was afloat as a result of wiring and buoys – USCG officers determined Baluchi was conducting a manifestly unsafe voyage,” the criminal complaint filed in US District Court in Florida states.
Mr Baluchi then allegedly threatened to kill himself with a 12-inch knife if anyone tried to arrest him and also claimed to have a bomb onboard his craft.
On 28 August, after days of trying to get Mr Baluchi to board Coast Guard vessels, he admitted that he did not have a real bomb and a day later officers were able to get him to disembark.
The suspect was brought ashore on 1 September at the USCG Base in Miami Beach, Florida.
It is reportedly not the first time Mr Baluchi has tried an extreme voyage on his vessel.
This morning, the #FCSO responded to a call about a vessel washing ashore in the Hammock area.
— Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (@FlaglerSheriff) July 24, 2021
Thank you to the concerned citizens who reported this. We are happy to announce that the occupant of the vessel is safe with no injuries! #SeeSomethingSaySomething pic.twitter.com/zlenQd1tX7
Court documents state that he has attempted voyages in similar vessels in 2014, 2016 and 2021, all of which have ended with Coastguard intervention.
In 2021 he made national news when he tried a journey from Florida to New York but washed ashore after just 25 miles.
He faces charges of obstruction of a boarding, and violation of a Captain of the Port order.